Abstract
Abstract This study aims to assess the lecturers’ opinions about the use of e-learning tools to support distance and blended learning in higher education in Portugal, evidently reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic. This research was based on a qualitative methodology, specifically, a focus group with professors from five higher education institutions from different geographical areas in Portugal. The obtained results were analysed along four main dimensions: (1) the level of knowledge of e-learning tools, (2) the reasons for using or (3) not using them, and, finally, (4) the opinion of lecturers on the student assessment process using these tools. The results showed that in addition to the concerns with smooth running classes and the appropriate delivery of the syllabus, the lecturers considered the transition to the e-learning context to have been easy. They noted a high level of literacy in the used tools, believed in the continued use of e-learning in the post-pandemic context, indicated several advantages for those involved in the e-learning context and a majority of limitations related to the time required for the adoption of more tools; and, finally, underlined the student assessment issue, which was pointed out as the most sensitive topic in the whole e-learning context. The study informed on the lecturers’ perspective on e-learning and the used tools and provided insight into their perceived usefulness and benefits for lecturers and students. An especially strong concern was verified on the part of lecturers to optimise e-learning tools to provide better knowledge delivery to students.

Abstract
The world of video games has more and more users, and today it is considered as an alternative to the existing reality. Online games like Second Life have independent economies with independent businesses and there is a growing interest to create rich experiences with high levels of presence, to create an alternative to reality, where you can work, be with friends, socialize and much more. With this new era that could be true virtual reality, and with advertising agents always trying to innovate the way they convey their advertising messages, it will be necessary to keep up with the medium to also reach new consumers. This integration of advertising in video games is not recent, however, and the practice itself has become increasingly popular in sports games, car racing games and many others that already have the presence of brands and advertising messages. This study intends to work as an introductory study to the theme, proposing some questions regarding the influence of the way advertising is inserted in the game. In this sense, an initial descriptive investigation of acquired data was developed, using a game created on the Unity platform, specifically for this research. The game was developed in 3 different versions, in which each one integrates advertising messages in a distinct way. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the respondents' opinion about the game, the effectiveness of advertising and the players' opinion regarding the practice of inserting advertising in video games. The influence and effectiveness of in-game advertising was also analyzed in order and to acquire their opinion regarding the practice used. The descriptive research indicates preliminarily that the way advertising is integrated may influence the effectiveness of in-game advertising. It was also possible to perceive that although the opinion is generally neutral, the respondents that have as a habitual leisure activity the consumption of videogames have a higher retention to in-game advertising when compared with non-gamers. At the end of this study, proposals and recommendations for future research involving this theme are presented. © ICWI 2023.All rights reserved.

Abstract

Abstract
Language-guided generative models are increasingly used in audiovisual production. Image diffusion allows for the development of video sequences and some of its coordination can be established by text prompts. This research automates a video production pipeline leveraging CLIP-guidance with longform text inputs and a separate text-to-speech system. We introduce a method for producing frame-accurate video and audio summaries using a virtual timeline and document a set of video outputs with diverging parameters. Our approach was applied in the production of the film Irreplaceable Biography and contributes to a future where multimodal generative architectures are set as underlying mechanisms to establish visual sequences in time. We contribute to a practice where language modelling is part of a shared and learned representation which can support professional video production, specifically used as a vehicle throughout the composition process as potential videography in physical space.

Abstract
Currently, distributed software systems have evolved at an unprecedented pace. Modern software-quality requirements are high and require significant staff support and effort. This study investigates the use of a supervised machine learning model, a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), for anomaly detection in microservices. The study covers the creation of a microservices infrastructure, the development of a fault injection module that simulates application-level and service-level anomalies, the creation of a system monitoring dataset, and the creation and validation of the MLP model to detect anomalies. The results indicate that the MLP model effectively detects anomalies in both domains with higher accuracy, precision, recovery, and F1 score on the service-level anomaly dataset. The potential for more effective distributed system monitoring and management automation is highlighted in this study by focusing on service-level metrics such as service response times. This study provides valuable information about the effectiveness of supervised machine learning models in detecting anomalies across distributed software systems.

Abstract
Information and Communication Technologies are driving the improvement of industrial processes. According to the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) paradigm, digital systems provide real-time information to humans and machines, increasing flexibility and efficiency in production environments. Based on the I4.0 Design Principles concept, Virtual Assistants can play a vital role in processing production data and offer contextualized and real-time information to the workers in the production environment. This systematic review paper explored Virtual Assistant applications in the context of I4.0, discussing the Technical Assistance Design Principle and identifying the characteristics, services, and limitations regarding Virtual Assistant use in the production environments. The results showed that Virtual Assistants offer Physical and Virtual Assistance. Virtual Assistance provides real-time contextualized information mainly for support, while Physical Assistance is oriented toward task execution. Regarding services, the applications include integration with legacy systems and static information treatment. The limitations of the applications incorporate concerns about information security and adapting to noisy and unstable environments. It is possible to assume that the terminology of Virtual Assistants is not standardized and is mentioned as chatbots, robots, and others. Besides the worthy insights of this research, the small number of resulting papers did not allow for generalizations. Future research should focus on broadening the search scope to provide more-significant conclusions and research possibilities with new AI models and services, including the emergent Industry 5.0 concept.